Cement loader, bag counter and indicator for batch mixing apparatus



July 4, 1933. J. F] ROBE 1,91 ,531

CEMENT LOADER, BAG COUNTER AND INDICATOR FOR BATCH MIXING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 22, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. F. ROBB Juh 4, 19330 CEMENT LOADER, BAG COUNTER AND INDICATOR FOR BATCH MIXING APPARATUS Original Filed 001;. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 4, 1933.

J. F. ROBB CEMENT LOADERJBAG COUNTER AND INDICATOR FOR BATCH MI-XING APPARATUS Originai Filed Oct. 22, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 y y 1933-" J. F. ROBB 1,916,533. CEMENT LOADER, BAG COUNTER AND INDIC ATOR FOR BATCH MIXING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 22, 1925 4 Shets-Sheet 4 {kg/w Patented July 4, 1933 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN F. 30313, CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO CEMENT LOADER, BAG COUNTER AND INDICATOR FOR BATCH MIXING APPARATUS Application filed October 22, 1925, Serial The machine of this invention is designed for handling cement and its utility will be appreciated fully upon an explanation of the present method of using large quantities of 5 cement in road building operations.

The ordinary road building operation of average size involves the use of what is known as a concrete paver. To this paver are supplied the concrete aggregates of stone or gravel, sand. and cement.

The cement for eachbatch of aggregates fed to themixer of the paver comprises a quantity which ma range from two to six bags, usually, depen ent upon the size of the paving machine. A common method of supplying the aggregates to the paving machine is to provide on a loading platform adjacent to the site of the work a large number of bags of cement ready to be used. A motor truck into which is loaded the heavy aggregate and sand will be driven along-side the loading platform, a man will step from the platform into the truck, and a second man will lift the bags of cement from the platform to the man in the truck, the bags having been previously cut open. The man in the truck will then dump the contents of the bags handed to him on top of the aggregates already in the truck, get off of the truck and back on to the platform whereupon the truck will drive oil to the paving machine. The lifting of the bags of cement is arduous Work and many contractors find it desirable to employ three men at this work as it is found good policy to have one man ready to spell the other men on the cement.

The foregoing method of handling cement for road or street paving work is objectionable ior at least two important reasons. The primary reason is that there is no accurate count of the bags of cement which are dumped into the truck and ultimately go to the mixeras a part of the bags of aggregates.

The proposition of accurate cement measurement is one of growing importance in the art. The making of good concrete pavement or similar work depends more upon the accurate measurement of the cement than upon any one factor entering the mixing operation. At the present time great precautions No. 64,229. Renewed December 1, 1932.

are being taken to insure a proper water content for the mixed aggregates, and to insure the mixing of the aggregates a proper length of time, but littleor no protection exists in respect to the accuracy of the cement proportion which is dependent upon the mere count of the men looking after the cement dumping, and there is no accurate record whatever kept. it cement is skimped a saving is effected by the contractor and a loss is sustained by the public in the production of weak constructions.

The second reason of objection to the present mode or" cement mixing anddumping is the large expense incident to the manual handling or labor. Where two or three men are employed in cement handling alone, the labor cost becomes excessive in the working season for obvious reasons.

The machine of this invention is designed to handle the cement mechanically by way of elevating the same in bags, automatically cutting the bags open, automatically counting the total number of bags used, and automatically registering the number of batches of bags handled which is the same as the number of batches of total aggregates supplied to the paving machine.

My machine is equally adapted for loading the cement into trucks containing the remaining aggregates, or the machine may be used near to the paving machine itself for supplying the cement directly into the loading skip of said machine, While the sand and stone aggregates are being brought up.

By the use of my machine I eliminate the necessity of employing at least one and in many instances two cement men,because a single workman can operate my machine, his work being confined to the placing of the bags of cementin the conveyor buckets of the endless 'conveyer feature of the machine, and pulling a lever to start the machine into action. The machine will stop automatically when the required number of bags of cement are cut open and dumped mechanically. a

By consulting the permanent register of number of bags used and batches of cement handled an inspector may easily determine whether a proper quantity of cement has 100 said trip pin 16 is adjustable with respect to a clutch knockout lever 18 connected by a rod 19 with the manual clutch lever 20 which controls the operation of the clutch 21 on the shaft 22 (Figs. 18). The shaft 22 is the cross'shaft which drives the conveyer belt 1 and the clutch 21 establishes a driving relation between the shaft 22 and said belt.

" When the clutch 21 is out the conveyer belt 1 and buckets 2 are idle; when the clutch is in thesaid parts are being driven to feed the buckets upward and bags of cement which may be placed in said buckets. Operation of the knockout lever 18 by the pin 16 throws out the clutch 21and stops the movement of the conveyer belt 1 and buckets 2.

The detent lever 15 is intended to be actuated by manual means including a 'rod 23 which leads to a point near where the operator of the machine is at work placing bags of cement in the buckets 2, or it may be operated automatically. By pulling on the rod 23 detent 15 is lifted permitting a spiralspring 24 to return the batch number registering wheel 13 to zero position.

The mechanism of the register5 operated by the actuating member 12 registers on an accumulator 25 the total number of bags of cement handled by the machine. A lever 26 forms a connection bet-ween the rod 19 and a batch registering totalizer or accumulator 27 beneath the accumulator 25. Each time the knockout lever 18 is operated, at the conclusion of the dumpingof the required number of bags of cement for a batch, the batch totalizer 2 is operated by lever 26 and registers up the batch handled.

At the upper end of the conveyer mechanism as seen in Figures 2 and 3 I mount a rotary knife 28 whichmay be driven in any suitable manner from the conveyer devices themselves or from the motor 3. This knife is intended to cut open the sack or bag of cement as it is inverted by the bucket 2 in which it is carried, when reaching the upper end of the conveyer at a point above the dis charge chute 29. I preferably use cement in paper bags or sacks so that the bags may be thrown away after being cut open and "emptied by my machine. The cement in the usual cotton sacks or bags may be availed of however in which event the knife 28 will be arranged for cutting the bag or sack along a seam thereof enabling it to be readily stitched when repaired, if desired. The cutter 28 may be mounted so as to swingto a position out of use, when the conveyer machine hereof is to be employed for other purposes than cement handling. Again the cutter or knife 28 may be dispensed with entirely, the cement handler who. feedsthe bags of cement to the buckets 2, cutting the tying string'ofeach be as he places it in a bucket 2.

is the bags of cement, designated 30 are carried upwardly in tlie buckets 2, they are inverted at the top of the conveyer mechanism, for dumping operation into the chute 29. To prevent them from dropping out 'of the bucket as they' are inverted I utilize the mechanism as shown in Figure 4 involving a pair of penetrating members 31 movable into and out of each bucket,2 at its opposite ends.

At a certain point in the upward movement of each bucket levers 32 pivotally connect with the penetrating members 31, en-.

gage with cams 33 at opposite sides of the conveyer frame C and these cams gradually force the penetrating members 31 to penetrate the bodies of the cement bags and its contents and hold said bag of cement in the bucket 2 as the latter becomes inverted therewith during the cement dumping action in relation to the chute 29 as seen in Figures 2 and 3. Suitable cam means 33 may also be employed to withdraw the penetrating members 31 from the bags after the latter have been emptied and at the same time a bag knocker 34: may be caused to strike the empty bag as it is about to fall out of the bucket 2 by gravity, the bag being thus knocked into a chute discharging it at one side of the machine, or ejected forcibly from either side of the machine. For the last mentioned purposes the knocker 34 may be reversibly driven from the conveyer mechanism of the machine in any suitable manner.

I have shown in Figure 8 a modified form of my machine in which I employ at the upper end of the conveyer mechanism a cement batch. hopper 35 having a discharge door 36 normally locked closed by a latch 37 operable by a rod38. The rod 38 is connected at its upper end to a lever 39 which is attached to the knockout lever-18 previously referred to so as to be operated by the latter to withdraw the latch 37 from a door 36 when the predetermined number of bags of cement which are to make up the batch, have been dumped into the hopper 35. This construct1on of hopper type machine may be used in order that the required number of bags of cement for a batch may be collected in advance and discharged in one quantity. The

construction is best adapted for use'wherecarried by the traction base A. '-Thi's construction is .very much similar to that of a combination, a device for elevating bags of gates, and means cooperating with sai elevating device for counting the measured batches handled thereby, and means for counting each bag of cement brought to the dumping point by the elevating device.

2. A cement loading and batch measuring machine, comprising a movable conveyer, holders on said conveyer to receive measured amounts of cement, means for operating the conveyer to carry said amounts of cement to a dumping point, and means for stopping said conveyer when a predetermined number of said amounts of cement have reached the dumping point, and a device for registering each stopping action of the conveyer.

3. A cement loading and batch measuring machine, comprising a movable conveyer, holders on said conveyer to receive individual bag quantities of cement, means for operating the conveyer to carry said quantities of cement to a dumping point, means for stopping said conveyer when a predetermined number of bag quantities of cement have reached the dumping point, a device for registering each stopping action of the conveyer, and a device for counting the number of bag quantities of cement brought to the dumpmg point, by said, conveyer.

4. In a cement batch measuring and counting machine, a movable conveyer adapted to hold individual bags of cement and feed the same to a dumping point therefor, means for gripping the bags of cement to hold the same while being dumped, and means for operating the conveyer to feed only a predetermined number of bags of cement to the dumping point and then automatically stop it, and

means for registering the stopping movements of the conveyer for enabling the number of batches of cement handled by the conveyer between its stopping movements to be determined.

5. In a cement batch measuring and count mg machine, a movable conveyer adapted to hold individual bags of cement and feed the same to a dumping point therefor, means for grippmg the bags of cement to hold the same whilebeing dumped, means for operating the conveyer to feed only a predetermined number of bags of cement to the dumping point and then automatically stop it, means for operating the gripping means to release the cement bags after dum in or dischar 'n and means for forcibly jediiing the bags fdi cement from the conveyer after said bags are dumped. 6. A machine for mechanically handling bags of cement, counting'them, and emptying them, including a movable conveyer having cement bag ho ding means, means to operate the conveyer to invert the bags to discharge them, means for causing the conveyer to v move to supply a predetermined number of bags of cement to the discharging point, means for stopping the movement of the conveyerwhen the predetermined number of bags of cement have been brought to the discharging point and discharged, and a cement bag cutting device located at the dis charging point and arranged to cut open each bag of cement as it reaches the discharging point.

7 A machine for mechanically handling bags of cement, counting them, and emptying them, including a movable conveyer having cement bag holding means, means to operate the conveyer to invert the bags to discharge them, means for causing the conveyer to move to supply a predetermined number of bags ofcement to the discharging point,

means for stopping the movement of the conveyer when the predetermined number of bags of cement have been brought to the discharging point and discharged, and a cement bag cutting device located at the discharging point and arranged to cut open each bag of cement as it reaches the discharging point,

and means for registering the stoppingmovement of the movements of theconveyer after each predetermined number of bags 'of ce-' ment have been carried to the discharging point to enable the number of batches of cement represented by each predetermined number of bags discharged, to be determined at any time.

8. A machine for mechanically handling bags of cement, counting them, and emptying them, including,a movableconveyer having cement bag holding means, means to operate the conveyer to invert the bags to discharge them, means for causing the conveyer to move to supply a predetermined number of bags of cement to the discharging point, means for stopping the movement of the conveyer when the predetermined number of bags of cement have been brought to the discharging point and discharged, a cement bag cutting device located at the discharging point and arranged to cut open each bag of cement as itreaches the discharging point, and means for registering the stopping movement of the movements of the conveyer after each predetermined number of bags of cement have been carried to the discharging point to enable the number of batches of cement represented by each predetermined number of bags discharged, to be determined .at any time, and means at such time for cement have resched the dischurging point,

seid predetermined number of begs of co ment representing a measured butch, means to register each batch of cement so supplied to the discharging point, said conveyor comprising buckets having bag gripping means to hold the bags of cement While discharging, and means tor releasing said bags otter being discharged.

ii. A cement butch meesuring machine, comprising an endless conveyer having buclc ets to receive the bags oil cement, means for registering the bags of cement handled by the conveyor and including devices carried by the buckets adapted to operate the registering means only "when the buckets have bags of cement disposed therein, gripping means to engage the cement bags carried by the buckets to hold the latter While they are being discharging and to then release them, and bag discharging means located at a suitable discharging point in the length of the movement of the conveyor,

12. A cement butch measuring machine comprising an endless conveyor having buckets to receive the bags of cement, bag penetreting means on the buckets for gripping the bags to hold the sums when they are inverted combined with means operable automatically to release them, means for cutting the bags open at a predetermined point in the movement of the conveyor and before the said penetrating means releases the bags, and means for mechanically removing the bags from the buckets after discharge of said bags.

iii. A cement butch measuring machine comprising en endless conveyor hnving buckets to receive the bags oi" cement, bag penetrating means on the buckets for gripping the bags to hold the some when they ere inverted combined with meens operable automatically to release them, menus for cutting the bags open at a predetermined point in the movement of the conveyer and before the said penetrating means releases the bags, means for moving the conveyor to bring a predetermined number of bags to the discharging point to represent a predetermined batch or cement, and for then stopping the conveyor, and means for registering each of the said batches'ofcement.

14. A portable cement measuring machine comprising en endless conveyer having m ster buckets to receive bags of cement, means for moving the conveyor to carry a predetermined number of bags of cement representing a batch to a dumping point, means for discharging bags of cement at said dumping point, means for stopping the movement of the conveyor after said predetermined number of bags of cement have been dumped, and e traction base for the machine,acementbetch hopper to receive the cement from the conveyer, means to discharge said hopper when it has received a butch of cement, a bag receiver, and means "for ejecting the bags to curry them into the bog receiver utter the begs have been discharged,

' A portable cement measuring mechine comprising an endless conveyor heving buckets to receive begs of cement, menus for moving the conveyor intermittently to carry e predetermined number of bags of cement epresenting a batch to e dumping point, e cement batch hopper to receive the cement ut the dumping point, end "tor discherging the batch hopper automatically when a batch of cement as above chancterized has been received in the hopper, end

means for registering a number of batches of cement discharged by the hopper.

it. in a machine for mechanicelly handling bags of cement and emptying them including e movable conveyor means to operate said conveyor, to cerry the bugs of cement to a discharging point, said conveyor comprising means to chest discharge of the begs ct such discharging point, a hopper for receiving the contents of at predetermined number of bags at the discharging point, end means to stop the movement of the conveyor when such predetermined number of bags have reached end been discharged into said hopper, end means to automatically discharge the batch hopper when u, predetermined number of begs of cement constituting e bat/ch have been discharged thereinto. I

1?. A machine for mechanically handling he s of cement and dischergii them, comprising a movnble conveyor, ag holding means carried-by seid conveyor to cooperate with bags of cement for carrying "the same to a point of discharge, means at the point oi discharge for said bags for cutting each bag open to cause emptying of the same as it reaches the discharge point, and means for discharging the bags from the muchine after they ere cut open end emptied.

l8. in a machine for measuring cement to provide predetermined quantities oil cement for batches of concrete, e conveyor, operating means therefor, means for initieting the movement of the conveyor when loaded with cement to carry the letter to a point of delivery, und instrumentelities to automatically stop the conveyer when it has delivered e predetermined quantityof cement to the delivery point, combined with c hopper ct the determined quantity of cement to the delivery point, combined with a hopper at the delivery point of the conveyer to receive the cement measured by the conveyer, means automatically to discharge the hopper when supplied with a predetermined quantity of cement upon stopping of the conveyer, and means to register the number of discharging operations of the hopper and thereby to count the batches of cement passing from the hopper.

In testimony'whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN F. ROBB. 

